The Catholic campus ministry program at Wright State University (WSU), Raider Catholic, understands that college is the time in a young adult’s life when they are most willing to challenge their own worldview and pursue truth.

“I think something particularly beautiful about college students is that they are usually searching for meaning,” said Father Tim Fahey, Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at the Dayton- area university. “They are looking for something true and beautiful to give their lives for, and they’re very often ready to lay their lives down for that,” he explained.

Society presents hundreds of solutions that ultimately leave students empty, and that’s where campus ministry fills the void, said Father Fahey. “An authentic encounter with Christ and His Church is ultimately the only thing that does satisfy. We try our best to create a loving community where people can have that encounter with Christ through the Church.”

The first step is to invite students to events and activities where they can witness Christ’s love in action, Father Fahey said. “When that love and welcome turns into authentic friendship, we introduce them to our best friend: Christ.”

And this invitation has been accepted by many students at WSU. When Father Fahey started his position in 2020, around 20 students participated in campus ministry. Today, there are almost 100 students attending events such as Mass, Bible studies, retreats and weekly activities.

John Andrew Davis III, alumnus and current Catholic Campus Minister at WSU, saw firsthand what a welcoming campus ministry program can do for a school and its students. “I cannot stress enough how important campus ministry is for the Church today,” he said. “We have a unique opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel, encourage virtuous friendships and make life-long saints. The Church radically transformed my life in college. I’m confident it can do the same for others.”

The WSU campus ministry program facilitated Davis’ conversion to Catholicism and introduced him to his wife. While a chapel student intern his senior year, he joked to his friends that his dream job was to be WSU’s campus minister. That dream is now a reality.

“John is unique in that he’s back in this community leading others to Christ in the way that he was led to Christ,” said Father Fahey. “He’s particularly good in that role teaching OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) because he is a convert to the faith, can anticipate the questions and concerns, and guides others along the same journey he experienced.”

Four other WSU graduates were called to work in the Church after graduating, becoming FOCUS missionaries and assisting with evangelization at college campuses across the U.S. Another four went to the seminary, including Robert “Cross” Youtsler, currently a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Many other alumni went on to work in local parishes.

“God is certainly bearing fruit here, and that’s where we try to invest our labors and resources, where He bears fruit with them,” Father Fahey explained Davis has seen this fruit multiply in his own life. “I became a FOCUS missionary out of college because I found my faith in college and wanted to help others do the same,” Davis said. “I met amazing people as a missionary and loved discipling them in the faith. I also learned so much about myself as a leader and grew to be a better man as a result.”

This zeal that graduates have for ministry isn’t a coincidence, according to Davis. “At Raider Catholic we preach the Gospel and invest in others. The Gospel is a High Call to be on mission for everyone, not just those with the title ‘missionary.’ It is amazing that we have so many vocations and formal missionaries coming out of our community, but just as wonderful are all of the married people, chaste singles and families that are spreading the Gospel in ordinary life.”

Davis said Father Fahey’s spiritual leadership is another key ingredient critical to the Raider Catholic’s success, “He is an amazing Father to the students here, a fantastic preacher of the Gospel and one of the most truly charitable leaders I have ever had the pleasure of working with. It is a gift to have the opportunity to work with him every day.”

WSU’s St. John Bosco Chapel welcomed nine new members into the Church last year, and 24 students signed up for OCIA classes this year, Davis said. “Bosco Night” is among their most popular weekly events, when they offer Adoration and Confession, Mass, dinner, then a social or catechetical event. The events have ranged from scavenger hunts, Oktoberfest and karaoke to catechetical discussions about dating, virtues and Catholicism in the movies.

Raider Catholic is literally bursting at the seams—their biggest limitation now is space. They hold Bible studies in every room and office they can find, even the storage room. “We regularly have new students walk in the door, but when they see how packed it is, they turn around and leave,” said Father Fahey. “That breaks my heart. Christ has drawn them into His Church, and when they heed His Call, there is no space for them here.”

Options for expanding Raider Catholic’s physical space are under discussion. However, as Father Fahey said, “I am quite convinced, based on what He’s done so far, that however large of a space we have, He will fill it with His sons and daughters.”

This article appeared in the November 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here